West Pokot leaders have called on the government to put in place measures to ensure all residents from Counties neighboring Uganda who migrated in search of pasture and water are counted in the coming census scheduled for next week on 24th and 25th.
Governor John Lonyangapuo and Kacheliba member of Parliament who visited Natekol village in Uganda to woo Kenyan Pokot pastoralists back home and sensitize them on the importance of the exercise called on the government to send enumerators to Uganda to count those moving from one place to another for them benefit from government services.
The leaders called on the government to extend the exercise across the border in neighboring countries where Kenyans have migrated to. Lonyangapuo said that many residents from West Pokot, Turkana, Trans-Nzoia, Busia, Migori, Narok and Kajiado Counties have migrated to neighboring countrie and risk missing out in the census exercise.
The Governor said they will organize herders in shifts for everyone to take part in the exercise. He pointed out that the exercise is important because the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) uses population as a factor in determining the revenue allocation. “If everyone is counted, we have to get the lion’s share in the County revenue allocations,” said the Governor.
Lomunokol called on the area Governor through the regional integration office to send enumerators in the area to ensure residents who migrated in search of water and pasture due to drought come back to be counted. “Many herders are here and they will still be here and will not be found during the census. They will not get allocations for funds and they will not be factored in services like vaccination exercises.”
Jackson Kadinyang who is grazing livestock at Namisia area urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure they are counted. “Let them gather us in one center so that we can be counted. We are Kenyans, it’s only that our livestock are grazing in Uganda.”
